When we moved into our first house during the summer of 2005, one of the things that was attractive to us was the mostly unfinished basement. It does have a full bedroom down there, but the rest is pretty wide open. Right away, we imagined a carpeted family room with lots of room for a nice, fluffy couch and big TV for watching football ... I mean educational programs with Harmon. Well, work is now underway on this space. My Dad came up from Illinois for the week and has been working almost non-stop (with me for four of those days) to make our dream a reality. He makes Bob Villa look slow. The walls are up (this is a view from the bottom of the stairs into the back of the room), the wiring is in place and the insulation is placed. The room is so huge and will be great space for our family. Aimee jokes that it is my "man-cave," that one room all men have in their homes where they can go and drink beer and watch sports. Well, I don't drink beer and Aimee likes sports, too, so everyone is invited.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Home Improvement!
When we moved into our first house during the summer of 2005, one of the things that was attractive to us was the mostly unfinished basement. It does have a full bedroom down there, but the rest is pretty wide open. Right away, we imagined a carpeted family room with lots of room for a nice, fluffy couch and big TV for watching football ... I mean educational programs with Harmon. Well, work is now underway on this space. My Dad came up from Illinois for the week and has been working almost non-stop (with me for four of those days) to make our dream a reality. He makes Bob Villa look slow. The walls are up (this is a view from the bottom of the stairs into the back of the room), the wiring is in place and the insulation is placed. The room is so huge and will be great space for our family. Aimee jokes that it is my "man-cave," that one room all men have in their homes where they can go and drink beer and watch sports. Well, I don't drink beer and Aimee likes sports, too, so everyone is invited.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Let's Go Krogering
Almost every Monday afternoon, Kevin volunteers to do some of the grocery shopping so he packs up Harmon and they head to the local Kroger. In addition to these Monday trips, Kevin usually has to go at least one other time during the week to replenish Isabel's food. Although he doesn't mind doing it, he claims he sometimes feels like he lives at Kroger.When I got home this past Monday and was talking with Harmon about his day, I asked him all about his trip to Kroger with Daddy. Since he's so good at repeating, I asked him to say "Kroger" and he did - just as plain as could be. Kevin heard it and came running in and he repeated it for him too.
I guess he likes going Krogering with his Daddy!
Also, another new trick, as reported by my Mom today. Apparently, he likes to push up the center couch cushion and then crawl up underneath it. He's been crawling up into the blanket basket for a few days but now he's taking it to a whole new levo!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Check-ups, baby steps, hair cuts, etc.
Harmon had his 15-month check-up Friday morning and it was uneventful. Usually, Kevin and I are full of questions but Harmon has been to the doctor’s office a bit more than usual lately with the bronchiolitis followed by the ear infection so most of our questions have been answered. Harmon checked in at 28.4 pounds (91st percentile) and 34 inches long (99th percentile). Needless to say, he’s still a big boy. He did have to get two shots but the good news is that he is done now until school starts. We didn’t do the blood test this time to see how the iron supplement is working so we’ll do it at his 18-month appointment on May 11. We talked a lot with the doctor about the whole walking thing and, thankfully, there was some progress to report. Last Sunday night (Feb. 11), Harmon took a few steps between me and Kevin and then, on Wednesday night (Feb. 14) when my Mom was watching him, he took four or five steps from her to me. He’s also finally taken a liking to his push toy, which is helping a lot. He’s all over the house with it now. So, overall, things are going well and we’re so thankful.
After Harmon’s doctor’s appointment, we ran some errands. He’s been wet a few mornings recently so I finally figured out that he needed the next size up in diapers. So, we bought some size five Pampers Cruisers. We also had to get him a lunchbox and some shoes for his new day care. I still need to get him a couple of back-up outfits so it’s on my list to stop by Once Upon A Child.
Because Harmon’s hair grows like weeds, we drove up to the Carnival Cuts at Twelve Oaks Mall again on Saturday. This is his third haircut but I think the best one yet. The stylist really sheared him in the back but it looks SO cute. Unfortunately, it makes him look like such a big boy.
Not sure what today holds. We were hoping to get Harmon out in the snow for the first time this winter but the forecasted high is only 20 so I’m not sure that will happen. It looks like 30s the rest of the week so maybe we can get to it sometime in the next few days.
A minor miracle happened today – Michigan beat Indiana in basketball for the first time in the Tommy Amatuer, I mean Amaker (or should I say, Coach Radio) era. To be more specific, we ended an 11-game losing streak against the Hoosiers. At this point in the season, I was just hoping we would continue to lose instead of winning a game here and there and getting our hopes up. Because, down the stretch, we’ll blow it like we always do and miss the NCAA tournament AGAIN. You know, it’s not even worth me blogging about.
On a much better sports note, Spring Training for Tigers’ pitchers and catchers started on Friday. The first day featured A LOT of pitchers fielding practice, which is no surprise! The rest of the team will be ready to go in Lakeland on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The first true exhibition game is Wednesday, Feb. 28 (against the Mets) and Opening Day (against the Blue Jays) in Detroit is Monday, April 2. Gotta’ love baseball! Go Tigers!
OK, one last thing. Here’s our Valentine from Harmon for Valentine’s Day 2007. Love those little handprints!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
He loves his blanky
My Mom called me at work yesterday to tell me a cute Harmon story.
While she was watching him, he starting playing with this basket of blankets we keep in the living room. He often puts his little Roll-a-Around balls in there but he appeared to be doing something different so she went over to check it out.
He pulled off the top blanket, which was a U-M blanket, and then pulled off the next blanket, which is a Cardinals-Tigers combo blanket. Each time, my Mom thought he was reaching for that particular blanket. But, he really was trying to get to one of his baby blankets, this one with one yellow side and one green side. He used to sleep on this blanket on the floor for HOURS when he was just a few months old.
So, she pulled the blanket out for him and placed in on the floor. He promptly crawled right over to it, sprawled out and went to sleep. Is it possible he actually "remembers" this blanket? He never naps on the living room floor anymore but couldn't resist when she put the blanket down so it must have some meaning to him! I wish I could have seen this whole scene. It probably looked like this, only in a larger version (and minus the hat).
He is SO cute!
While she was watching him, he starting playing with this basket of blankets we keep in the living room. He often puts his little Roll-a-Around balls in there but he appeared to be doing something different so she went over to check it out.
He pulled off the top blanket, which was a U-M blanket, and then pulled off the next blanket, which is a Cardinals-Tigers combo blanket. Each time, my Mom thought he was reaching for that particular blanket. But, he really was trying to get to one of his baby blankets, this one with one yellow side and one green side. He used to sleep on this blanket on the floor for HOURS when he was just a few months old.
So, she pulled the blanket out for him and placed in on the floor. He promptly crawled right over to it, sprawled out and went to sleep. Is it possible he actually "remembers" this blanket? He never naps on the living room floor anymore but couldn't resist when she put the blanket down so it must have some meaning to him! I wish I could have seen this whole scene. It probably looked like this, only in a larger version (and minus the hat).
He is SO cute!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Will you be my valentine?
To all those who love me so much, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
As a small “thank you” for all you do for me, I got you all a little something sweet. It’s not chocolate. In fact, you can’t even eat it. You COULD drink it but you might just want to save it for a keepsake. If you DO want to drink it, go ahead because you still could save it for a keepsake.
Mommy and Daddy helped me choose this gift (using this photo) and do tags and bows for all my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I hope you all like it.
If any of you would like to make a gift like this, you can visit the Jones Soda web site. It’s fun!
Love, Harmon
As a small “thank you” for all you do for me, I got you all a little something sweet. It’s not chocolate. In fact, you can’t even eat it. You COULD drink it but you might just want to save it for a keepsake. If you DO want to drink it, go ahead because you still could save it for a keepsake.
Mommy and Daddy helped me choose this gift (using this photo) and do tags and bows for all my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I hope you all like it.
If any of you would like to make a gift like this, you can visit the Jones Soda web site. It’s fun!
Love, Harmon
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Zoned out
Harmon attends KidZone Child Care Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He’s been there for a year now (with his first day being Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006). We visited five places before choosing KidZone in what was not a very fun process. It’s no surprise that it was hard for us first-time parents to find a place to leave Harmon (at only three months old) AND feel good about it but we quickly found that in KidZone.
When we chose KidZone, however, we didn’t know they would have to move at the end of February 2007. Currently, it is housed in Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor but the church is going through renovations and re-claiming the space KidZone currently holds. For some time, the KidZone director has been trying to find a new location and, last week, after several other deals fell through, we all thought KidZone finally had a new home. We even received a letter on Tuesday giving the new address and asking parents for help with the move! Although the new location isn’t as convenient for us, we decided to make it work because Harmon really likes his friends and teachers and has done really well there. On Friday, however, Kevin received word from a friend of ours (whose daughter also attends KidZone) that the deal, once again, fell through. Evidently, KidZone made an offer on a property and the LOCAL sellers’ office approved it but the NATIONAL sellers’ office said “not so fast, my friend!”
This news was very unexpected and everyone now is in panic mode. KidZone is working up another offer and has received a 10-day extension from the church but no one knows what will happen. Several parents already have moved their kids because of all the uncertainty but there also are other parents, like us, who keep hoping things will work out. Friday’s news, however, lit a fire under us and we finally had to act on some casual calls we had been making to other day care centers over the past couple of weeks. Late Friday, we visited Annie’s Children’s Center, which was the first place we visited back when we first started this whole crappy process. In 2006, Annie’s part-time program required a minimum of three days of care and Harmon only needed two so it never worked out. The location was great – almost exactly between my office and Kevin’s office – the “tuition” was reasonable and we liked it a lot but, as I said, it just didn’t work out. This time around, though, you CAN schedule two days a week and there IS room for Harmon. So, Kevin and I have a big decision to make.
We could wait it out and, worst-case scenario, have KidZone close AND lose our spot at Annie’s. Best-case scenario, we could wait it out, have it work out and let Harmon stay with those he knows and loves. The other scenario is to pull Harmon out of KidZone and enroll him in Annie’s and hope and pray he adjusts OK. As an aside, if he cries when I leave him with perfect strangers – he knows now, he had no clue when he was three months’ old – I don’t know what I’ll do. ANYWAY, another thing to think about is pulling Harmon out of KidZone and then having the whole thing work out. We’ll feel terrible.
Whatever happens, we need to do what's best for Harmon and make sure he has good people to care for him two days a week so we're going to Annie's today to finalize everything. It sucks to go through this all over again but it is what it is and no amount of whining about it (on my part) is going to change the situation. Hopefully, we'll all adjust just fine - AGAIN!
When we chose KidZone, however, we didn’t know they would have to move at the end of February 2007. Currently, it is housed in Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor but the church is going through renovations and re-claiming the space KidZone currently holds. For some time, the KidZone director has been trying to find a new location and, last week, after several other deals fell through, we all thought KidZone finally had a new home. We even received a letter on Tuesday giving the new address and asking parents for help with the move! Although the new location isn’t as convenient for us, we decided to make it work because Harmon really likes his friends and teachers and has done really well there. On Friday, however, Kevin received word from a friend of ours (whose daughter also attends KidZone) that the deal, once again, fell through. Evidently, KidZone made an offer on a property and the LOCAL sellers’ office approved it but the NATIONAL sellers’ office said “not so fast, my friend!”
This news was very unexpected and everyone now is in panic mode. KidZone is working up another offer and has received a 10-day extension from the church but no one knows what will happen. Several parents already have moved their kids because of all the uncertainty but there also are other parents, like us, who keep hoping things will work out. Friday’s news, however, lit a fire under us and we finally had to act on some casual calls we had been making to other day care centers over the past couple of weeks. Late Friday, we visited Annie’s Children’s Center, which was the first place we visited back when we first started this whole crappy process. In 2006, Annie’s part-time program required a minimum of three days of care and Harmon only needed two so it never worked out. The location was great – almost exactly between my office and Kevin’s office – the “tuition” was reasonable and we liked it a lot but, as I said, it just didn’t work out. This time around, though, you CAN schedule two days a week and there IS room for Harmon. So, Kevin and I have a big decision to make.
We could wait it out and, worst-case scenario, have KidZone close AND lose our spot at Annie’s. Best-case scenario, we could wait it out, have it work out and let Harmon stay with those he knows and loves. The other scenario is to pull Harmon out of KidZone and enroll him in Annie’s and hope and pray he adjusts OK. As an aside, if he cries when I leave him with perfect strangers – he knows now, he had no clue when he was three months’ old – I don’t know what I’ll do. ANYWAY, another thing to think about is pulling Harmon out of KidZone and then having the whole thing work out. We’ll feel terrible.
Whatever happens, we need to do what's best for Harmon and make sure he has good people to care for him two days a week so we're going to Annie's today to finalize everything. It sucks to go through this all over again but it is what it is and no amount of whining about it (on my part) is going to change the situation. Hopefully, we'll all adjust just fine - AGAIN!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Shredding
Kevin and I are a LITTLE behind with our shredding of receipts, documents, etc., so we need to have a midnight shredding session like Eddie Barzoon in The Devil's Advocate!
15 freakin’ month’s old
Harmon is 15 month’s old today. It gets old saying this OVER and OVER, but I still can’t believe it. He goes for his 15-month check-up on Friday so we’ll have all the official stats after that, along with any word from the doctor on when to start panicking about the whole walking thing. I told myself I wasn’t going to grip since the whole crawling thing worked out just fine after he waited forever to do it. But, as each day goes by, I find myself thinking about it a lot and hoping that everything is OK. He cruises a ton and will stand on his own so I know he can support himself. I think he’s just afraid – he HATES to fall down. I’m sure it will happen and then I’ll wonder just WHY I wanted it to happen but, until it does, I’ll worry – it’s what I do best.
The talking won’t stop, though, which is a very good thing. It’s time, however, for me and Kevin to start being REALLY careful about what we say around him. He repeats a lot, which is a little scary!
For his 15-month birthday and Valentine’s Day, we picked him up a few things over the weekend. He needed a new pair of gym shoes so we got these from Stride Rite. Damn, toddler shoes are expensive! We also are getting him ready for spring with his first denim jacket and his Easter outfit – shirt (in cactus) and, of course, sweater vest (in pudding).
BREAKING NEWS: As Kevin and I were getting Harmon ready for bed tonight, we spotted both of his upper, first molars poking through for teeth #15 and #16. The only teeth left to make an appearance are all four of his second molars. After that, he'll have his allotment of 20 baby teeth!
The talking won’t stop, though, which is a very good thing. It’s time, however, for me and Kevin to start being REALLY careful about what we say around him. He repeats a lot, which is a little scary!
For his 15-month birthday and Valentine’s Day, we picked him up a few things over the weekend. He needed a new pair of gym shoes so we got these from Stride Rite. Damn, toddler shoes are expensive! We also are getting him ready for spring with his first denim jacket and his Easter outfit – shirt (in cactus) and, of course, sweater vest (in pudding).
BREAKING NEWS: As Kevin and I were getting Harmon ready for bed tonight, we spotted both of his upper, first molars poking through for teeth #15 and #16. The only teeth left to make an appearance are all four of his second molars. After that, he'll have his allotment of 20 baby teeth!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
A not-so-good first
Over the last couple of weeks, Harmon’s favorite pastime has been playing with his ears. Since a fever never accompanied this playing, Kevin, the doctor and I all assumed it was just those upper molars coming in. Last Wednesday, however, while he was with my Mom, he developed a nasty little fever so we took him in to see the doctor. After taking a quick look, the doctor diagnosed him with his very first ear infection (in his left ear). I was bummed because he had made it almost 15 months without having one or having to take antibiotics but the doctor actually said that ear infections are common side effects of the bronchiolitis he recently had. Whatever the cause, he’s been on antibiotics since Wednesday night and has been alternating between Motrin and Tylenol and he seems to feel just fine. Other than a few hours in the early afternoon of last Wednesday, when my Mom said he was just not himself, he has been perfectly fine. We’re so thankful he’s still so good natured, laid back and well behaved even when he’s not feeling well at all.OK, some funny things that happened while Harmon was “under the influence” of a mixture of Amoxicillin, Motrin and Tylenol:
1. In the waiting room, which was filled with only sick little BOYS (GD, where were all the girls? Wait, I know. Probably shopping since babyGap and Children’s Place contain 90 percent girl clothes), Harmon took a quick liking to a wall-mounted abacus that is in the waiting room (the beads look like balls – hence the attraction). Of course, as soon as Harmon started playing with it, another little boy – who was maybe four or five years old – had to come check it out. He (I think his name was Tyler) came over and started hogging it thinking Harmon would just move out of the way but he was sadly mistaken. Harmon stood strong, not giving up any ground, and continued to play until Tyler grew bored. All the while this is going on, Harmon was jabbering more than any of the other little boys in the waiting room even though he was much, much younger than they were. I looked at my Mom (who was nice enough to meet us at the doctor’s office so we didn’t have to leave work any earlier than was absolutely necessary) and said “why is my 14 ½ month old son the loudest of the bunch in the waiting room?” You would not have known he wasn’t feeling well if you would have seen him at that point – he would not shut up!
2. Once we got home, Harmon was being really silly, saying weird things and doing weird stuff. He also was tripping all over everything and falling down like a drunken sailor. I think maybe he was hopped up on some Motrin since the nurse gave him a dose more suitable for Andre the Giant than a 14 ½ month old!
3. Lastly, along the lines of doing silly things, Harmon finally discovered his football. He usually plays with every other ball BUT the football but, for some reason, he found it and could not get enough of throwing it. We thought it was ironic because Wednesday, Feb. 7 was National Signing Day. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Bits and pieces
One year ago today, I returned to work after 12 weeks of maternity leave with baby Harmon. Those first few weeks were SO hard but I think, a year later, we've all adjusted well. When I came back to work, I came back 80 percent time. I still am doing that and it seems to be working for everyone so I hope to continue with this schedule indefinitely. I always thought it was ironic that I returned to work after the birth of my first child on my Mom's birthday. Maybe it provided a good reminder that I am a Mom first and an employee second – just like my Mom always was for me and my sisters. So, happy one-year-back-at-work-part-time to me and, more importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mom!Speaking of my Mom's birthday, we all took her and my Dad out to dinner to P.F. Chang's on Saturday night. We tried to make it a surprise but that's damn near impossible with my Mom. It was fun anyway and my parents LOVED P.F. Chang's (my sisters and I were a little nervous). My Mom commented that she's never had that much shrimp in an entrée before so I can see return trips to P.F. Chang's in the future – YUM! We all had a great time and had some very chocolaty birthday cake (and I had 1,000 Diet Cokes). Harmon was a little angel, eating all HIS food and lots of ours and being a good sport as he was passed around the table to be played with and tickled. We were there for almost three hours and he was perfect the entire time.
On Sunday, we stayed home to watch the Super Bowl. Since we were home all day, I thought I would give Harmon a special treat and let him play with ALL his Roll-A-Round balls (usually, we give him four or five at a time – and they ALL end up under the couch)! He was confused at first but had a good time.
He seems to say a new word almost every day and here are some of the latest: Harmon, Isabel, Erin, happy, bippy (my Mom and sisters call his pacifier a "bippy" and we call it a "binky"). He'll pretty much repeat anything you say to him and it sounds pretty close.
Valentine's Day is fast approaching so Harmon needs to get to work on his gifts for everyone. Kevin and I aren't sure what we're getting each other (if anything) but we know one of these will be involved.
Kevin's Dad will be here soon to help get our little basement project going. Kevin spoke to him last night to try to get an idea on time and it looks like that visit might occur in the next week or two. Yeah, a basement room soon!
OK, did you see this? Is that even a "real" number? Of course, the next president will spend a large part of his (or her) administration cleaning this mess up (budget should be balanced by 2012 – yeah right – conveniently AFTER "W" is gone) before getting to his (or her) own agenda and then it will appear he (or she) got nothing done. UGH!
On a lighter note, one of my guilty-pleasure shows is "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV. If you like that show, you have to see this! Funny!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Is this one yours?
My Mom watched Harmon today on her usual Wednesday and called us at 5:30 p.m. to see if we wanted to meet her at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Of course we did, so we went there right from work. We all had a great time eating pizza and watching Harmon take his turn on all the rides. He even scored yet another ball at the end of the night! As we were waiting to purchase said ball, there were three little kids in line in front of us. One of the little boys starting groping the little girl and her Mom looked at us and said, “Is this one yours?” We looked at her like, yeah, sure, he’s ours and we thought we would just let him stand there, in plain view, and rough up your daughter! Finally, “this one’s” Mom came over to retrieve him and the little girl and her brother (who did nothing, by the way – nice brother) left. As we walked back to our table to pack up, Mom called the other Mom a “dingbat” and, of course, Harmon repeated it! I guess we REALLY need to start watching what we say and evidently controlling our out-of-control children in Chuck E. Cheese’s.
By the way, make the world a better place, punch Nick in the face!
By the way, make the world a better place, punch Nick in the face!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Pancakes and proposals
Over the weekend, we gave Harmon pancakes. On Saturday, we woke up and thought pancakes sounded good so Kevin dusted off the griddle. He mixed some batter for himself and Harmon and did a separate mixture for me that contained chocolate chips (Kevin makes THE BEST chocolate chip pancakes). Anyway, as Kevin and I were eating, we thought we would give it another go with Harmon. He tried them back during the Christmas break and wasn't at all a fan. This time, though, he loved them! After eating some of his usual breakfast, he devoured four silver dollar pancakes. It was very cute.
Turns out Kevin really needed those pancakes as he spent most of Saturday moving a huge shelving unit from one wall of our basement to another. After taking care of our little water problem (it was a clogged ground water drainage pipe, by the way, and thanks to Mom and Uncle Dave for helping us out with it), it's again full-speed ahead on our basement project. Kevin's Dad is planning on visiting sometime next month to work on it with him. And, I've already completed the most important part of the project – I've picked out paint swatches!
On Sunday, we took another trip to our local IKEA store. This time, we were on the lookout for some table lamps for our bedroom. Kevin has asked about these 1,000,000 times but I've been holding off thinking we might actually get a bedroom set one day. But, seeing as how that's not going to happen for a long, long time (mostly because the basement takes priority right now), I gave in. We found some cool lamps that look nice and they didn't cost too much. Amazing how much thought we put into a set of $14.99 lamps!
Over the weekend, we also finished Harmon's week-long breathing treatments. It's a good thing too because it was getting old for all three of us. He pretty much is back to normal (and back to day care) but, then again, you never really can tell when he's sick anyway. Even though he was feeling better, I think we did detect a food allergy or food intolerance to eggs. On four different occasions, we've given him eggs (straight versus mixed in something else) and he's either rubbed his eyes raw or thrown up or both. So, we'll have to take a look at it with the doctor at his next appointment, which is Feb. 16.
No walking yet but he is cruising everywhere and all he wants to do is walk with you. Sometimes, he even does a spider monkey (see photo above) kind of walk up and down the hall and along the gate that surrounds Isabel's cage. Any day now! The doctor and I both think that he's concentrating more on talking than walking right now and that would explain the almost-one-new-word-a-day pace. He now says "car," "cookie," "cracker," "water," "caca," "poo poo," "pee, pee" and is working hard on "love you." Also, much to my delight, "mama" finally has returned to his vocabulary on a regular basis. I just love hearing it!
OK, now on to the BIG news of the weekend. My little, tiny, baby sister is getting married! Her boyfriend proposed on Friday and she called me (and the rest of the family) and thoroughly stunned us all. Although they've been together for a long time AND have talked about rings and weddings and what not, it still was a surprise. Maybe it's because she just turned 23 in October! But, they are thinking about a late fall wedding in 2008 so she'll be 25 by then. So, congrats to them! And, I can't wait to help with the wedding!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
State of the Union
Since I can't stomach a State of the Union Address from someone who still hasn't mastered the English language, I tend to boycott the TV on nights like last night. However, Kevin was watching MSNBC's Keith Olbermann (see, old SportsCenter fans have followed Keith into the mainstream) tear apart, word for word, every other Bush State of the Union Address and forgot to change the channel when the lies, I mean the address, started. So, on my way to the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of the TV screen and saw the following:
While the Pinocchio in the foreground made me want to put my head under a tire, the sight to the audience's right was rather refreshing. It was so awesome to see Nancy Pelosi – a woman and a Democrat – sitting in the Speaker of the House spot. Maybe there is hope!
By the way, do we really need a State of the Union address at this point in the Bush Administration? I think it's pretty well known that we're all screwed (well, unless you're rich)!
OK, one last thing - these cartoons are good!
While the Pinocchio in the foreground made me want to put my head under a tire, the sight to the audience's right was rather refreshing. It was so awesome to see Nancy Pelosi – a woman and a Democrat – sitting in the Speaker of the House spot. Maybe there is hope!
By the way, do we really need a State of the Union address at this point in the Bush Administration? I think it's pretty well known that we're all screwed (well, unless you're rich)!
OK, one last thing - these cartoons are good!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Talking in your sleep
We know Harmon is a crazy sleeper, if only from where he ends up in relation to where he went to sleep. But, he also talks and crawls in his sleep. On numerous occasions, he’s blurted out his favorite words in the wee hours. At 3 a.m., for example, we’ll hear “ball” or “dada” and think, damn, he’s awake, what the hell is going on. But, he ALWAYS goes back to sleep. I guess he must be dreaming about his Daddy or his beloved balls! This morning, I witnessed this first hand (as opposed to just hearing it through the monitor). I stayed home with him today as he's still not 100 percent and we slept in a bit together. I woke up before he did and watched him sleep and say "dadadadada" in the softest, quietest, little baby boy voice. It couldn't have been cuter! Well, I guess it could have if he would have said "mama!"
In addition to the sleep talking, we’ve also noticed some sleep crawling. Sometimes, like when he might be having a nightmare, we’ll check on him and he’ll crawl from where he is back to his original sleep location. He also does this when we’re napping with him in our bed. He’ll get up on all fours and crawl back to where he started the nap. This sleep talking and sleep crawling usually takes place when his eyes are completely closed so he’s not awake. Who knows what goes on in the minds of babies!
In addition to the sleep talking, we’ve also noticed some sleep crawling. Sometimes, like when he might be having a nightmare, we’ll check on him and he’ll crawl from where he is back to his original sleep location. He also does this when we’re napping with him in our bed. He’ll get up on all fours and crawl back to where he started the nap. This sleep talking and sleep crawling usually takes place when his eyes are completely closed so he’s not awake. Who knows what goes on in the minds of babies!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Damn day care germs
On Wednesday evening, Harmon started to cough a bit. He also coughed a lot overnight but we thought it was just another damn day care cold. When we arrived at day care to drop him off on Thursday morning, two of the teachers wanted to warn us about cases of bronchitis and pneumonia. Evidently, several kids were out due to this. When we got him home Thursday night, his cough had worsened and by Friday morning (after another rough night of sleep), it was bad enough for me to call the doctor. Almost every other time I’ve taken him in, they’ve looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears and told me it was just a cold. This time, though, I was glad I trusted my instincts and took him in because he quickly diagnosed with bronchiolitis. GD day care germs! So, while we were in the exam room, we did a breathing treatment and he got juiced up with some steroids. We also were sent home with a prescription for the steroid, prednisolone, which we are to give once a day for three days, and another prescription for albuterol, which we are to give him a minimum of four times per day through a nebulizer. Basically, he has to sit and inhale this misty medicine every four hours or so. So far, we’ve given him five of these breathing treatments and it’s gone OK. It sounds like the cough is moving up in his chest and he seems to be better during the day but the night coughing is the worst. After waking up four times last night, Kevin finally decided to have a slumber party with him and sleep outside in the living room. After this, he was able to sleep until 8:30 a.m. this morning and he had two really good, long naps today. And, as usual, he handles sickness so well. He’s his normal, playful self and he’s eating and drinking like a horse. We put him to bed for the night a little while ago so, cross your fingers.Of course, while all this is happening, I have to feel like crap too. I’m not sure really what is going on with me. On Thursday night, I had the chills and an upset stomach. Yesterday, the chills were gone but they were replaced with full body aches. Today, what a surprise, I’ve developed a sore throat and a headache to go along with the body aches. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I feel so guilty about feeling sick because it puts such a burden on Kevin and I hate that. It’s just not my nature to sit around and let him do all the work. ANYWAY, here’s hoping Sunday will be a better day for Harmon and me. And, please dear Lord, don’t let Kevin get sick too. Yikes!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
What a nice guy
So, a week or so ago we started watching the chick flick, "The Devil Wears Prada." Well, between taking care of Harmon and navigating Noah's Ark through our basement, we finally got back to it last night. Aimee had been begging me for a week straight to watch the ending. Being the nice guy I am, I took one for the men's team and sat through it. I am still searching for my manhood.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The effects of global warmings
Well, death storm 2007 hit Southeast Michigan Sunday and Monday. Unlike in years’ past, it came in the form of ice (and rain). Usually, by mid-January, we’ve had a ton of snow. This winter, however, we’ve had almost no snow. We’ve had a ton of rain, though, which has been a disaster for us because these Noah’s Ark-style rains have wreaked havoc on our basement. We had no problems last winter or last spring, the time when it’s usually the wettest. But, I guess with our plans to finish the basement nearing, it was better for this to happen now than when we get everything all done. I guess these are the effects of that alleged (said with extreme sarcasm) global warmings!
Branches of our lilac bush in the backyard:
Branches of our lilac bush in the backyard:
Icicles on the telephone wire:
Frozen water droplets hanging from our big "Christmas tree" in the front yard:
Thin ice (with bubbles) on the branch of our Japanese Maple:
Looking through our Japanese Maple out into the street:
A suspicious squirrel in our pine tree:
Monday, January 15, 2007
Pretty
Since before Harmon was born, I have been on a hunt for a piece of jewelry that I liked (and would wear) with his birth stone. November’s stone is a yellow topaz, which isn’t the prettiest of all the gems, so finding just the right thing has been hard. After Harmon turned one, I started thinking about it again and thought a pendant would be nice and, if I got something I liked, I could wear it everyday. So, I started surfing the net but I couldn’t find much and, at that point, I figured I would have to design something myself to REALLY like it. Being that one of the diamonds in Kevin’s wedding ring fell out AGAIN, we were due for a trip to our jeweler. While we waited for Kevin’s ring repair, I decided to design a pendant with one of the jewelers. She was very helpful and we came up with something fantastic. Very simple but JUST what I wanted. And, much to my surprise, they put it all together while we waited. I thought for sure I would have to come back in a few weeks but they did it all right there – I guess that’s one of the reasons we love going there.Anyway, it’s a round yellow topaz in a white gold bezel setting with a 17-inch white gold chain. I’ve had it on for two days now and don’t plan on taking it off anytime soon as it reminds me of my precious little Harmon. And, seeing as how we don’t have a money tree in the back yard, I made Kevin PROMISE that this would be my Mother’s Day gift, even if it did come four months early.
First trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s
On Saturday, Harmon had his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s. I had a hair appointment at noon back home (I can’t bear to leave my hair dresser so I gladly drive an hour every seven weeks) and Kevin tries to go when I go too. So, we met my Mom and Dad at Macy’s just before noon and they picked up Harmon and decided to take him to Chuck E. Cheese’s. He had a fantastic 
time, although they no longer have the ball pit, which I thought would be the highlight of Harmon’s young life. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a Chuck E. Cheese’s but evidently they nixed the ball pits for sanitary reasons - yuck. Anyway, after eating for well over an hour straight (he had fruits and vegetables from the salad bar along with his first taste of pizza), he got to go on all the rides. Early on, 
he had a great time! But, by the time Kevin and I got there (around 1:15 p.m.), he started to tire out and began to cry on every ride. That, and he was not a big fan of the Teletubbies! He had fun watching Daddy play pop-a-shot, though, and he had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa who, of course, spoiled him rotten. Since the first trip went over well, we’ll have to try it again soon!
time, although they no longer have the ball pit, which I thought would be the highlight of Harmon’s young life. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a Chuck E. Cheese’s but evidently they nixed the ball pits for sanitary reasons - yuck. Anyway, after eating for well over an hour straight (he had fruits and vegetables from the salad bar along with his first taste of pizza), he got to go on all the rides. Early on, 
he had a great time! But, by the time Kevin and I got there (around 1:15 p.m.), he started to tire out and began to cry on every ride. That, and he was not a big fan of the Teletubbies! He had fun watching Daddy play pop-a-shot, though, and he had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa who, of course, spoiled him rotten. Since the first trip went over well, we’ll have to try it again soon!
Friday, January 12, 2007
14 months old
Harmon is 14 months old today. And, my present to him was a trip to our local Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store (I’m really sorry, little guy). I needed to find some fancy tags for Valentine’s Day gifts and a friend of mine told me this might be a good place to check. Remind me to never visit this store again! We got there around 3 p.m. and it was nuts! There were crazy-ass women everywhere, in all the same aisles I needed to look and pushing their carts up my back as I walked through this maze of scrapbooking crap. As an aside, I thought after having Harmon that I might turn into the scrapbooking type but it didn’t happen and I’m actually pretty happy about it. ANYWAY, the women in the scrapbooking section were the worst offenders of all. So, with no more than three seconds to look for something before I had to move or be run into, I gave up. Harmon and I left and walked over to Target and I found just what I needed there, thank you very much. It’s no wonder it’s my favorite store! Plus, I was able to walk Harmon through the toy aisles to make up for the ½ hour he had to spend in the scrapbooking nazi store.Another great gift to Harmon as he was nearing the 14-month threshold was two shots. On Monday, he had a doctor’s appointment to get the second half of his flu shot and his last one-year vaccination. Our doctor didn’t want him to get five shots and a blood draw at his one-year visit so he split them up, which was quite nice of him actually. This time, I did my best to be brave and I stayed near Harmon during the shots (Kevin usually does this as I hide away on the other side of the room and fight off tears). We each grabbed a hand as the nurse did her thing and, although I was looking away, I could tell the moment the needle entered his chubby little thigh as he tensed up so much. But, it was over quickly and he was fine the rest of the day with the usual exception of being a little tired.
Not much else is new this week although Kevin and I have been really bad at taking pictures lately (as evidenced by Harmon’s last photo on Flickr being from Jan. 2). We got a new digital camera for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad) and we’re still learning how to work it. So, we want to use it but don’t know all the functionality yet and we’ve vowed not to fall back into the habit of using the old one. Basically, we just need to get it figured out and take some photos already before Harmon turns 12!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Digging in the dirt
If you were anywhere near a TV over the last few months, you had to have seen a commercial for the new FX series, Dirt, starring Courtney Cox. I swear that during the months of November and December I couldn't watch TV without seeing at least 100 commercials for this thing. I remember telling Kevin that if they just stopped with the ads already, I would watch. Really, I would, so ENOUGH! So, last Wednesday, at 10 p.m., I tuned in. I thought I would give it a try and then maybe flip around during commercials if I was bored. But, FX totally owned me by airing a commercial-free premiere, courtesy of Pontiac (I kind of sound like a NASCAR driving pimping his sponsors). Anyway, I watched it and really liked it. And, when Kevin came upstairs, fresh from his turn on the treadmill, I found out he was watching it too AND he liked it too. So, we set our DVR to do a series recording and we watched the second episode last night. Again, we loved it and we can't wait for next week's episode! I know, we don't get out much!If you live under a rock and haven’t seen any ads, the gist of the show is that Courtney Cox is an editor of a sleazy tabloid magazine and her best friend is the photographer. There also is a full cast of actors, athletes, etc., that end up in her magazine, one way or another. The acting is pretty decent and the characters are interesting – especially the photographer. And, it's gotten some good reviews from the likes of the Washington Post and the Miami Herald so give it a try.
The only problem so far is that all the pre-premiere commercials featured Peter Gabriel's song, "Digging in the Dirt" and now I can't get it out of my head!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Are you kidding?
Red Jim Tressel sweater vest: $49.99Payout for being in the BCS championship game: $14-17 million
Maiming your best, and fastest, player on the first play of the game: Priceless!
Monday, January 08, 2007
It's alive!
Yes, Harmon still exists, even though we haven't posted an update in a while. He just turned 18 and will start college in the fall! So, yeah, I wish I could blame my lack of updates on the holidays but it's already Jan. 8 for Christ's sake. ANYWAY, Harmon is doing wonderfully well. He was hopelessly spoiled at Christmas by both sides of the family. In addition to a day care center's worth of toys and books, he received probably two laundry baskets full of clothes, pajamas, shoes, slippers, etc. I don't think I can fit much more in his closet or his dresser drawers. We were in Michigan with my family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (mmmm, turkey) and then spent Dec. 26-30 with Kevin's family in Illinois. I think when Harmon woke up at home on Dec. 31, he was flat-out bored. For a full week, he had no less than four people playing with him and then it was back to just me and Kevin again and we're not the most exciting pair so …While we were at Kevin's parents' house, something exciting happened (aside from me seeing the new Rocky movie AT THE THEATER); Harmon weaned himself from his bottle. Although he's been without the daytime bottles since his first birthday, he still was getting his bedtime bottle. And, since the holidays are so hectic and we knew we had to travel, Kevin and I decided to wait until after the New Year to wean him off that last bottle. But, apparently, Harmon had different plans. Our first night away, he drank most of his bottle and, the second night, he only drank half. By the third and fourth nights, he wanted nothing to do with it. And, at that point, we decided to just go with it. So, now, at bedtime, we put on his pajamas, wash his little face and hands (which he HATES), brush his 10,000 teeth, read him a book, and then he simply puts his little head down and falls asleep. It almost seems too easy. He has had a few nights with nightmares, especially right when we got back home, but it seems to be going OK. If only potty training can be this easy!
Ah yes, the 10,000 teeth – or so it seems. Right before Christmas (Dec. 17), he cut his first molar and was working on one of his eye teeth (lower right). Well, those are through and two more have followed – a molar on the bottom left followed by another eye tooth (lower left). So, 12 total and the upper eye teeth have almost broken through as well (for #13 and #14). And, I can't imagine what's going on with his upper molars. They may be through for all I know, especially since we can't see up there. All these new teeth and you would never know it. He's been so good while sprouting these things!
OK, I know everyone has the same burning question and, no, no walking yet. He's content to crawl and cruise and that's fine by me. I stressed about the crawling and since that worked out OK, I told myself I wasn't going to stress about the walking. Over the Christmas break, Kevin's aunt told me that once they start walking, it's like you lose your baby so he can take his time. He's stood up by himself and, as I said, he is cruising so I'm sure it will happen sooner than later. I was about a year old and Kevin didn't walk until he was 15 months so he's somewhere in the neighborhood.
Although he's not walking, he is making up for it in talking. He is a blabbermouth, which is cute unless you're in church (like yesterday). Since yesterday was Epiphany, all the Christmas decorations were still up so he had to say “tree” about 23,000 times. And, the little kid sitting next to us had a puppy stuffed animal and that about sent Harmon over the edge. All I heard for a good five minutes was “pup-py,” “pup-py!” So, his vocabulary includes: dada (his favorite), mama, mommy, hi, bye, bye bye, nana, baba, papa, puppy, kitty, kitty cat, ball (his second favorite, although said with much more enthusiasm than dada), pretty, bop, boppy, tree, santa, Harmon (said like armen) and lots of other words I either can't remember or can't understand (this is more likely). He responds to so much too, it's just amazing. We got him this big tiger (about the size of him) stuffed animal for Christmas (his kitty) and we'll tell him to go give his kitty a hug. He then crawls over to it, hugs it while laying his little head on it and then pets it while making the cutest little "awwww" sound. Also, if you say "touchdown," he raises up his little arms like a referee. Unfortunately, he didn't get much practice with this during the Rose Bowl. Well, at least not with Michigan touchdowns.
Ah, let's see, what else. At day care this week, he will start transitioning up to the next group, the waddlers. Although he technically can't make the move until he's walking, he will be sleeping and playing with them throughout the day. So, no more sleeping in the crib at day care. He'll now just sleep on a mat like the bigger kids.
That’s all for now as I have to save some Harmon stuff for his 14-month update on Friday. I can’t believe he’s going to be 14 months old!
Before I go, a blast from the past, “The State” style!
Monday, January 01, 2007
It's a New Year (for everyone but U-M)
OK, first off, Happy New Year to everyone. It was a fantastic 2006 for our family and one in which we received many blessings. Harmon continues to amaze us every day, and our family and friends are happy, and most importantly, healthy.And while it is a new year, some things never change. And if you have been to this blog before, you know where this is headed. But first a little history. Back in September when Michigan trounced Notre Dame 47-21, we received an e-mail from a friend saying, in so many words, that Lloyd Carr had silenced his doubters and that anyone who criticized him was wrong. Heck, she was practically soaking in the Gatorade bath the team gave Lloyd that day. It was an impressive win, no doubt, but a look at things since then shows that, well, all is not as great as she claims.
Fast forward to Nov. 18 when Michigan went to Ohio State and had the chance to play its way into the national title game. Other fans tried to blame the bad field, Troy Smith's shoe size, the location of the satellites in the sky. Whatever. We lost and did not deserve a rematch. I am down with that and accepted it immediately. But a lot happened between Sept. 16 and Nov. 18, and it shows that all is not well at Michigan Stadium.
So, Michigan finished 11-2 (this is being written as the Rose Bowl is still being played, but is the outcome really in doubt? No.), but after beating Notre Dame on Sept. 16, they reeled off wins over the following: Wisconsin (a legit win, I will concede that, but at home), Minnesota (fired its coach), Michigan State (ditto), Penn State (OK, but still a bad team), Iowa (please, 6-7 says it all), Northwestern (no comment), Ball State (I refuse to acknowledge this game happened) and Indiana (completion of a murderous three-game string).
With our annual loss at Ohio State and the pending Rose Bowl embarassment (32-11 at last count), Michigan is 1-2 in meaningful games since beating Notre Dame. And they will finish with a loss to Ohio State and in the bowl game for the third straight year. And be 0-3 in the last three Rose Bowls. Hopefully, we are not invited back for a while. The smog in LA is our stench.
So, while I wanted to believe 2007 would be different, it isn't, at least on the football field. Maybe we will get like Lions fans and become numb to it. But it hurts to continually be embarassed on a national stage. Remember, we were supposed to come out and show the nation how we felt about being snubbed for the BCS title game. Um, nice stand boys.
So, I will not waste my time checking for e-mail from this "friend." Go ahead and defend Lloyd this time. I can't wait to see the excuses.
32-11. Beauty. (Oops, meaningless touchdown, 32-18). Still a beauty.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Cough, cough, cough
Don't you hate having a cough? It's just SO annoying, that little itch in your throat that ALWAYS strikes right when you're finally freakin' ready to put your head on the pillow. Harmon came home with a cold about two weeks ago, which we've come to expect since he's in day care. And, EVERY time he gets a cold, I usually get it while Kevin goes unscathed. Not this time, though. Not so fast, my friend! This time, the lethal baby germs took down both of us.
A week ago Saturday, Kevin got a wicked case of the chills and went to bed early, which he never does. He said he had a bit of a sore throat, too. And, on Sunday night, I started feeling the sore throat thing. On Monday, my throat hurt so bad and so deep that it was making my ears ache. On Tuesday, we both started developing a cough and, by Wednesday morning, we both had a slight fever so we decided to call in sick. By Thursday, we woke up with a little bit of laryngitis but decided to make a go of it at work. On Friday, we both felt a lot better and were left with just a cough, a cough that won't quit. We're on our fourth bottle of Robitussin after trying some Delsym (which used to work for me before I apparently grew immune to it) and some DayQuil Cough. I'm hoping it's nearing its end but I'm not so sure. I guess I'll have to wait until bed time to find out! Of course, Harmon kicked it quickly, as he always does. But, I have noticed a bit more coughing again both yesterday and today. I hope we didn't give it back to him.
Last night, we were taking some pictures of Harmon and we got a good one of him crying. Normally, I don't like to take too many of those but this time the photo proved to be a valuable shot. We caught sight of his new pearly white – a molar poking through his bottom, right gum. I guess that explains ALL the drool and some recent ear tugging. We're not sure how long it's been there as it is damn near impossible to look inside his mouth. There could be MORE in there, for all we know.
We are pretty much done with our Christmas shopping, although, for some reason, I feel like we should get more for Harmon. I know he doesn't quite get all this Christmas and Santa stuff yet but I can't help it, I want to get him everything. I think I'm going to have to accept that fact that he's going to be a spoiled rotten first child!
Kevin and I took some extra days before Christmas to just hang out as a family as all the days between Christmas and New Year's Day are spent back and forth between families – it can be so exhausting. So, our last day in the office will be Wednesday. We'll spend Christmas Eve opening presents with my immediate family at my parents' house. We'll do Christmas morning at home and then head back to my parents' house as they are hosting the entire family on Christmas Day. The day after Christmas, we'll make the trek south to Illinois to spend a few days with Kevin's family. I'm hoping Harmon in the car seat for 6-plus hours will go OK. The first and only other time he did this trip was back in April when he still was pretty little and slept a lot – who knows what to expect this time. We'll come back on Dec. 30 and then have another couple of days to ourselves before returning to work on Jan. 3. I just can't believe the holidays are here. I look forward to them all year and now we're right smack in the middle of them. I hope everyone's holidays are going well.
Before I go, I had to share this video. My sister, Stacey, sent it to me last week, saying this is what Harmon is going to be like. At this point, I hope so. You see, Harmon has just totally abandoned saying "mama." He pretty much says everything but "mama." And, after ALL I do for that kid. It's just fantastic.
A week ago Saturday, Kevin got a wicked case of the chills and went to bed early, which he never does. He said he had a bit of a sore throat, too. And, on Sunday night, I started feeling the sore throat thing. On Monday, my throat hurt so bad and so deep that it was making my ears ache. On Tuesday, we both started developing a cough and, by Wednesday morning, we both had a slight fever so we decided to call in sick. By Thursday, we woke up with a little bit of laryngitis but decided to make a go of it at work. On Friday, we both felt a lot better and were left with just a cough, a cough that won't quit. We're on our fourth bottle of Robitussin after trying some Delsym (which used to work for me before I apparently grew immune to it) and some DayQuil Cough. I'm hoping it's nearing its end but I'm not so sure. I guess I'll have to wait until bed time to find out! Of course, Harmon kicked it quickly, as he always does. But, I have noticed a bit more coughing again both yesterday and today. I hope we didn't give it back to him.
Last night, we were taking some pictures of Harmon and we got a good one of him crying. Normally, I don't like to take too many of those but this time the photo proved to be a valuable shot. We caught sight of his new pearly white – a molar poking through his bottom, right gum. I guess that explains ALL the drool and some recent ear tugging. We're not sure how long it's been there as it is damn near impossible to look inside his mouth. There could be MORE in there, for all we know.
We are pretty much done with our Christmas shopping, although, for some reason, I feel like we should get more for Harmon. I know he doesn't quite get all this Christmas and Santa stuff yet but I can't help it, I want to get him everything. I think I'm going to have to accept that fact that he's going to be a spoiled rotten first child!Kevin and I took some extra days before Christmas to just hang out as a family as all the days between Christmas and New Year's Day are spent back and forth between families – it can be so exhausting. So, our last day in the office will be Wednesday. We'll spend Christmas Eve opening presents with my immediate family at my parents' house. We'll do Christmas morning at home and then head back to my parents' house as they are hosting the entire family on Christmas Day. The day after Christmas, we'll make the trek south to Illinois to spend a few days with Kevin's family. I'm hoping Harmon in the car seat for 6-plus hours will go OK. The first and only other time he did this trip was back in April when he still was pretty little and slept a lot – who knows what to expect this time. We'll come back on Dec. 30 and then have another couple of days to ourselves before returning to work on Jan. 3. I just can't believe the holidays are here. I look forward to them all year and now we're right smack in the middle of them. I hope everyone's holidays are going well.
Before I go, I had to share this video. My sister, Stacey, sent it to me last week, saying this is what Harmon is going to be like. At this point, I hope so. You see, Harmon has just totally abandoned saying "mama." He pretty much says everything but "mama." And, after ALL I do for that kid. It's just fantastic.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
13 months old
Harmon is 13 months old today. I thought maybe time would slow down a bit after the big first birthday but momma’s wrong again. Anyway, he’s so much fun and he's learning new things every day. It’s so true – their minds are like sponges.
Anyway, for his first-year doctor’s appointment and his first-year evaluation at day care (which we still are in the process of trying to schedule), I had to fill out the Ages & Stages Questionnaire. This form basically tells you more about your child’s development. Kevin brought it home back in November (11/14) and I filled it out that night. One of the questions was about pointing, which, at that point, Harmon wasn’t really doing. But, I swear, no sooner did the damn ink dry in the “No” bubble on that form, did he started pointing at everything and hasn’t stopped since.
The night of our sixth anniversary, you know, when we did something so fun and outrageous like ordering our favorite Chinese take-out, Harmon amazed us by standing up all by himself. Kevin and I were sitting on the couch talking and he just stood up next to his toy bin and then promptly fell right on his little, diapered butt. He hasn’t tried it again lately but I sense there are more attempts to come.
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, apparently we weren’t getting Harmon’s dinner and drink ready fast enough so he crawled over to the open fridge, reached in and grabbed his sippy cup, took a big drink and then put it back on the shelf. Kevin and I both stood there, stunned.
This past Saturday, Harmon broke something of value for the first time. Although I bought drawer and cabinet locks a couple of weeks ago, we hadn't installed them yet so Harmon gave us a little reminder. He opened up one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled down my serving platter and serving bowl (that match my everyday china). Although the platter – which I barely use – was spared, my bowl was smashed to bits. I was a little mad because Pfaltzgraff is phasing out my pattern and therefore doesn’t make the bowl anymore (and even those replacement china web sites don’t have the bowl in stock). But, more than anything, I was glad the stuff didn’t fall on Harmon and cut him. So, after that drama, Kevin started putting on the locks (under supervision of the little man).
Lastly, we put up our Christmas tree this weekend and were a little nervous as to how Harmon would react. Much to our surprise, there’s no way he could be less interested! Every once in a while, he’ll take a break from playing with his 1,000,000 toy balls and crawl over to the tree. He’ll point at it, and sometimes pet it, talk to it a bit, and then go back to his baby business. It’s really funny. And, tonight, when we were watching the Grinch, he saw the Christmas tree on TV and then pointed to our tree – GENIUS, GENIUS, GENIUS! Just kidding, but I hope he is!
OK, enough Harmon. We saw a commercial for this tonight. Hilarious. Business in front, party in back! Kevin loves ALL the synonyms for the mullet.
Anyway, for his first-year doctor’s appointment and his first-year evaluation at day care (which we still are in the process of trying to schedule), I had to fill out the Ages & Stages Questionnaire. This form basically tells you more about your child’s development. Kevin brought it home back in November (11/14) and I filled it out that night. One of the questions was about pointing, which, at that point, Harmon wasn’t really doing. But, I swear, no sooner did the damn ink dry in the “No” bubble on that form, did he started pointing at everything and hasn’t stopped since.
The night of our sixth anniversary, you know, when we did something so fun and outrageous like ordering our favorite Chinese take-out, Harmon amazed us by standing up all by himself. Kevin and I were sitting on the couch talking and he just stood up next to his toy bin and then promptly fell right on his little, diapered butt. He hasn’t tried it again lately but I sense there are more attempts to come.
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, apparently we weren’t getting Harmon’s dinner and drink ready fast enough so he crawled over to the open fridge, reached in and grabbed his sippy cup, took a big drink and then put it back on the shelf. Kevin and I both stood there, stunned.
This past Saturday, Harmon broke something of value for the first time. Although I bought drawer and cabinet locks a couple of weeks ago, we hadn't installed them yet so Harmon gave us a little reminder. He opened up one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled down my serving platter and serving bowl (that match my everyday china). Although the platter – which I barely use – was spared, my bowl was smashed to bits. I was a little mad because Pfaltzgraff is phasing out my pattern and therefore doesn’t make the bowl anymore (and even those replacement china web sites don’t have the bowl in stock). But, more than anything, I was glad the stuff didn’t fall on Harmon and cut him. So, after that drama, Kevin started putting on the locks (under supervision of the little man).Lastly, we put up our Christmas tree this weekend and were a little nervous as to how Harmon would react. Much to our surprise, there’s no way he could be less interested! Every once in a while, he’ll take a break from playing with his 1,000,000 toy balls and crawl over to the tree. He’ll point at it, and sometimes pet it, talk to it a bit, and then go back to his baby business. It’s really funny. And, tonight, when we were watching the Grinch, he saw the Christmas tree on TV and then pointed to our tree – GENIUS, GENIUS, GENIUS! Just kidding, but I hope he is!
OK, enough Harmon. We saw a commercial for this tonight. Hilarious. Business in front, party in back! Kevin loves ALL the synonyms for the mullet.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Honeymoon memories
Six years ago today, Kevin and I returned from our honeymoon. Since we paid for our own wedding, we weren’t sure if we could afford a honeymoon. But, we didn’t want to be one of those couples who didn’t go right away yet swore they would go ONE DAY all to never go at all. So, we sucked it up and took on some extra debt. We knew we couldn’t afford something extravagant like an African safari (my best friend Betsie’s choice), but we wanted to go somewhere we probably wouldn’t get to again without some effort. So, we decided on Vancouver. I know, I know, Vancouver in December. We were crazy, right? CANADA + WINTER = COLD. And, and I can’t count how many times we were asked why we didn’t choose some tropical destination. We’re not tropical people, OK!
ANYWAY, we went to Vancouver and it was perfect (and it wasn’t that cold). We flew into Seattle (another place we hadn’t visited before) and spent a day there (doing the usual touristy things like the Space Needle, Pike Place Fish Market, University of Washington, Safeco Field, etc.) before driving up to Vancouver. It was an easy drive and, wow, so beautiful. That part of the country is so gorgeous. We stayed in Vancouver for four days and saw almost all of the sites. One of the many highlights was a day spent at Whistler, although the drive back, down the edge of a mountain with water below, in the blowing snow, aged us about 10 years. We spent lots of time walking in Stanley Park, explored Grouse Mountain, went to the GM Place to see a Vancouver Grizzlies’ basketball game (yeah, remember, before they moved to Memphis) and ate and shopped a ton. Everything was perfect!
We drove back to Seattle on Saturday as we had plans to meet up with one of very best friends, Tim Frank. His Houston Rockets were in town to play the Seattle Supersonics and he got us tickets. Tim was not able to make it to our wedding so this is how he made up for it. And, it was great to see him and fun to see a game at Key Arena.
Early Sunday, we caught a flight back to Detroit where my Mom was waiting for us. We headed back to my parents’ house to open more wedding gifts and try to recover as we both were headed back to work on Tuesday. All in all, it was an amazing time, one of the best – if not THE best vacation we’ve ever taken together. And, I guess that’s what honeymoons are supposed to be!
PS – If we would have had a digital camera at the time, we could have shared some photos. But, all we have are prints and we’re sure all the beauty would be lost in the scanning. Well, OK, here’s ONE!
ANYWAY, we went to Vancouver and it was perfect (and it wasn’t that cold). We flew into Seattle (another place we hadn’t visited before) and spent a day there (doing the usual touristy things like the Space Needle, Pike Place Fish Market, University of Washington, Safeco Field, etc.) before driving up to Vancouver. It was an easy drive and, wow, so beautiful. That part of the country is so gorgeous. We stayed in Vancouver for four days and saw almost all of the sites. One of the many highlights was a day spent at Whistler, although the drive back, down the edge of a mountain with water below, in the blowing snow, aged us about 10 years. We spent lots of time walking in Stanley Park, explored Grouse Mountain, went to the GM Place to see a Vancouver Grizzlies’ basketball game (yeah, remember, before they moved to Memphis) and ate and shopped a ton. Everything was perfect!
We drove back to Seattle on Saturday as we had plans to meet up with one of very best friends, Tim Frank. His Houston Rockets were in town to play the Seattle Supersonics and he got us tickets. Tim was not able to make it to our wedding so this is how he made up for it. And, it was great to see him and fun to see a game at Key Arena.
Early Sunday, we caught a flight back to Detroit where my Mom was waiting for us. We headed back to my parents’ house to open more wedding gifts and try to recover as we both were headed back to work on Tuesday. All in all, it was an amazing time, one of the best – if not THE best vacation we’ve ever taken together. And, I guess that’s what honeymoons are supposed to be!
PS – If we would have had a digital camera at the time, we could have shared some photos. But, all we have are prints and we’re sure all the beauty would be lost in the scanning. Well, OK, here’s ONE!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
BS, errrrr BCS
Well, once again, college football (Division 1-A) figured out a way to totally screw up its yearly mythical run for a national championship. In case you missed it, this past weekend former #2 USC lost to cross town rival UCLA. This sent the entire BCS world into utter chaos. Michigan, who was ranked #3, would move up. And, if #4 Florida could keep Arkansas from running one more trick play, it could hold on and win the SEC Championship and move up, too. From the minute USC lost, Kevin and I began thinking there was NO WAY all the pollsters (I use that word loosely – they're really just bitter sportswriters, senile coaches, coaches with grudges and dudes in their underwear sitting in the basement with their computers), would ALLOW Michigan to reach the national championship game and play Ohio State again, this time for the title. And, about 24 hours later, all our suspicions were confirmed. As an end-result, I guess I'm fine with this. It's the PROCESS that is so effed up beyond belief. Yes, Michigan had a chance to take down the Buckeyes on Nov. 18 and pissed it away. Yes, Michigan didn't win its own conference, which I always remember bitching about in the past (see Oklahoma in the 2003 regular season and Nebraska in the 2001 regular season). But, all these things didn't seem to factor into voting and polls and such BEFORE so I'm not sure why Michigan was made to pay the price NOW.
Frankly, I was surprised Michigan didn't drop more after losing to Ohio State. But, I guess a three-point loss in the Horseshoe had gained the Wolverines some respect so they stayed at #2. At USC continued to roll, it was no surprise the Trojans jumped Michigan and I was fine with that. Sitting at #3, Michigan was poised for a Rose Bowl bid but also waiting in the wings in case the unbelievable happened and USC tripped up. After watching the USC game, we flipped over to the Florida game and the amount of campaigning Gary Danielson did throughout the second half was disgusting. And, the minute that god-awful game was over, Florida coach Urban Meyer continued his public lobbying for his Gators to get their shot at Ohio State.
When the "results" came out the next day, via the embarrassing production called the BCS Selection Show, we weren't surprised but were left with many, many questions, thoughts, etc. Here are a few:
1. Why was Michigan ranked higher than Florida most of the season and, then, in the end when it really mattered, the teams were flipped in the rankings? Why was Michigan good enough until it was inconvenient to be good enough?
2. Why didn't the voters drop Michigan after the loss to Ohio State so as not to have to worry about the Wolverines anymore? Why didn't Florida jump Michigan then, you know, since they play in the most criminal, I'm sorry, I mean the toughest conference in America?
3. If Michigan didn't get the nod because it didn't win its own conference, how come both Louisville and Wake Forest weren't ranked ahead of the Wolverines too? They won their conferences and went 11-1 and 11-2, respectively.
4. It's been written that voters didn't want a rematch. And, if that's truly the case, shouldn't that be written into the ever-expanding list of BCS rules so we know what we're dealing with each and every year? Furthermore, why hate on a rematch NOW when it was perfectly fine for Florida to get a second shot at Florida State back in 1996? After #1 Florida lost its regular-season finale to #2 Florida State (by three points in Tallahassee – sound familiar), they were given a second shot in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. In the rematch, Florida won and claimed their first national championship.
5. Why is this sport's national championship based on voting, like say figure skating or gymnastics? And, this voting introduces biases and grudges and lobbying and campaigning – all like an election. At this point, shouldn't we just leave it to the computers? Does Urban Meyer really have to whine and cry and beg for his team to play? Shouldn't Florida's body of work speak for itself? And, why so much criticism of Lloyd Carr for NOT whining and crying and begging for his team to have a shot? I'm stunned since so many reporters and sports writers get on Coach Carr all the time for the whining and crying he does DURING the game.
6. A few years ago, there was an effort to really de-emphasize the strength of schedule factor when calculating the BSC standings. All I've heard about since Saturday at 8 p.m. is how Florida played such a tough schedule. So, strength of schedule must now matter a ton again, especially when pollsters need to come up with a reason to move Florida ahead of Michigan. And, if Ohio State played in the same conference as Michigan, why are the Buckeyes given credit for their schedule and the Wolverines given grief for it? Ohio State played Texas (#2 at the time, #19 now), in Austin, in its big non-conference game and won, 24-7. Michigan played Notre Dame (#3 at the time, #11 now), in South Bend, in its big non-conference game and won, 47-21. The rest of the schedules were pretty much the same with the exception of Ohio State not having to play Wisconsin (who now is ranked #7) during the conference season.
Ugh, there are so many things – I could go on and on. I just wish there was a real system so all this could be handled on the field. And, I'm not going this route because it's my team that got robbed – I've felt this way for a long time. It's just sad that in this day and age, college football can't put together a real system to determine a true national champion.
There is one thing I DO know, I hope Ohio State beats Florida by 10 freakin' touchdowns. Hey, unlike Ron Zook (nice program, by the way), I realize that an Ohio State win will be best for the Big 10 conference and might bring a little more money Michigan's way. In the end, isn't that what college football is all about anyway – money?
Frankly, I was surprised Michigan didn't drop more after losing to Ohio State. But, I guess a three-point loss in the Horseshoe had gained the Wolverines some respect so they stayed at #2. At USC continued to roll, it was no surprise the Trojans jumped Michigan and I was fine with that. Sitting at #3, Michigan was poised for a Rose Bowl bid but also waiting in the wings in case the unbelievable happened and USC tripped up. After watching the USC game, we flipped over to the Florida game and the amount of campaigning Gary Danielson did throughout the second half was disgusting. And, the minute that god-awful game was over, Florida coach Urban Meyer continued his public lobbying for his Gators to get their shot at Ohio State.
When the "results" came out the next day, via the embarrassing production called the BCS Selection Show, we weren't surprised but were left with many, many questions, thoughts, etc. Here are a few:
1. Why was Michigan ranked higher than Florida most of the season and, then, in the end when it really mattered, the teams were flipped in the rankings? Why was Michigan good enough until it was inconvenient to be good enough?
2. Why didn't the voters drop Michigan after the loss to Ohio State so as not to have to worry about the Wolverines anymore? Why didn't Florida jump Michigan then, you know, since they play in the most criminal, I'm sorry, I mean the toughest conference in America?
3. If Michigan didn't get the nod because it didn't win its own conference, how come both Louisville and Wake Forest weren't ranked ahead of the Wolverines too? They won their conferences and went 11-1 and 11-2, respectively.
4. It's been written that voters didn't want a rematch. And, if that's truly the case, shouldn't that be written into the ever-expanding list of BCS rules so we know what we're dealing with each and every year? Furthermore, why hate on a rematch NOW when it was perfectly fine for Florida to get a second shot at Florida State back in 1996? After #1 Florida lost its regular-season finale to #2 Florida State (by three points in Tallahassee – sound familiar), they were given a second shot in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. In the rematch, Florida won and claimed their first national championship.
5. Why is this sport's national championship based on voting, like say figure skating or gymnastics? And, this voting introduces biases and grudges and lobbying and campaigning – all like an election. At this point, shouldn't we just leave it to the computers? Does Urban Meyer really have to whine and cry and beg for his team to play? Shouldn't Florida's body of work speak for itself? And, why so much criticism of Lloyd Carr for NOT whining and crying and begging for his team to have a shot? I'm stunned since so many reporters and sports writers get on Coach Carr all the time for the whining and crying he does DURING the game.
6. A few years ago, there was an effort to really de-emphasize the strength of schedule factor when calculating the BSC standings. All I've heard about since Saturday at 8 p.m. is how Florida played such a tough schedule. So, strength of schedule must now matter a ton again, especially when pollsters need to come up with a reason to move Florida ahead of Michigan. And, if Ohio State played in the same conference as Michigan, why are the Buckeyes given credit for their schedule and the Wolverines given grief for it? Ohio State played Texas (#2 at the time, #19 now), in Austin, in its big non-conference game and won, 24-7. Michigan played Notre Dame (#3 at the time, #11 now), in South Bend, in its big non-conference game and won, 47-21. The rest of the schedules were pretty much the same with the exception of Ohio State not having to play Wisconsin (who now is ranked #7) during the conference season.
Ugh, there are so many things – I could go on and on. I just wish there was a real system so all this could be handled on the field. And, I'm not going this route because it's my team that got robbed – I've felt this way for a long time. It's just sad that in this day and age, college football can't put together a real system to determine a true national champion.
There is one thing I DO know, I hope Ohio State beats Florida by 10 freakin' touchdowns. Hey, unlike Ron Zook (nice program, by the way), I realize that an Ohio State win will be best for the Big 10 conference and might bring a little more money Michigan's way. In the end, isn't that what college football is all about anyway – money?
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Our wedding day
Today is our sixth wedding anniversary. About this time exactly six years ago, we were watching my cousin, Brian, parading around the dance floor in a fur coat, and watching our friends and relatives take over the open bar. We still hear from many of them that our reception was the best they had ever been to, and that still holds true for many of them.It was the perfect end to a magical day that was filled with many behind-the-scenes details many people did not know. Like how Aimee was being harassed by our wedding coordinator to take a plant leaf down the aisle, instead of her bouquet of roses (which were late, but eventually did arive) ... and how after we left the church in the limo, our first stop was -- McDonald's. Aimee had not eaten all day and was hungry, so prior to heading out for our photos, we stopped for a large fry and Diet Coke. After all of the planning and worries, all went off with few problems, well, except for the flowers.
To make a very long story short, our flowers were more than a half-hour late. They did arrive, and we were able to use some of them, but a few weeks after the wedding, we decided to try and recoup our losses in small-claims court. Well, it took us three appearances in court, and it all came down to a face-to-face meeting with our flower lady, who wanted to know how we could resolve this and not return to court. I will always remember Aimee's straight face as she said, "You can write me a check for $1,200 right now." Everything was settled out-of-court, and we laugh about it now.
But it was a day like today that really made us remember our wedding day. It was a gorgeous, sunny day -- much to Aimee's chagrin in 2000, as she wanted snow that day. Because we only had about 5 minutes to pull off our wedding, we were not allowed to take many photos in the church. They were obsessed about decorating for Advent, and if any of you plan on getting married at St. Thomas in Ann Arbor right before Christmas, if they say no, feel free to thank us for that. So, we went outside to shoot photos, and it was freezing. After our McDonald's run in the limo, we went to the Law Quad for photos. It was gorgeous in there and the highlight of our shoot. I felt so bad for Aimee having to stand there in just a wedding dress.
After our photos, we went to the reception in the Michigan Union. One of our favorite photos (the first photo on this page) came whie we were waiting to enter the ballroom. Everyone was seated and it was just us in the hallway. Finally married and our first chance to just kind of sit back and take a breath and realize that. I can still remember entering the room, with everyone standing and clapping. It was like we were on a cloud. We made our way to the head table, which is beautiful in pictures, even with my brother's Big Gulp drink sitting in the middle of the flowers in some shots.There are two moments I will always remember from our reception. The first was my brother Steve's best-man speech. He had a hard time getting through it, and I can clearly remember him saying he was happy I had found Aimee because he knew I traveled a lot (in my previous sports information jobs) and he was always worried about me. The second came when the dance floor was opened. A lot of my extended family hail from Illinois and many of them attended the University of Illinois -- a rival (well, in their minds) of our mighty Wolverines. My Uncle Duane is a huge Illinois fan and we made him dance to "The Victors." He was a great sport about it, and arguably the best dancer that night.
But the highlight of the night for me was realizing Aimee was finally my wife. If she hadn't taken so much time deciding if we were going to get married ... (just kidding, honey). She looked absolutely beautiful. I had seen her dress before, but it is true what they say about seeing your bride come down the aisle for the first time. It takes your breath away (like Berlin). The rest of the ceremony went smoothly, and I remember just being so proud and happy when we walked down the aisle as a married couple.Like any marriage, it has been a roller-coaster, one defintely on its way up now. We realized today that our anniversary for the forseeable future will include this little guy. There are many great memories of that day six years ago, and the years that have come and gone since then.
People often ask why we decided to get married in December. I think it is so I could get an early Christmas present -- my beautiful wife.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Weekend leftovers
I love Thanksgiving, mostly because it's OK to eat a ton and then be lazy. And, that's a lot of what we did over the long, holiday weekend.Before the Thursday gorging began, we attempted to take Harmon to see Santa on Wednesday. I had this "great" idea to take him to the fancy Santa at Somerset but that turned out to be a bad idea. When we got there, there was a FIVE-HOUR WAIT to see Mr. Fancypants Santa. Totally ridiculous! So, I got mad and we left (in my huff, I totally forgot to check out the new North Face store – damn, maybe next time). Anyway, we thought we would try Twelve Oaks Mall since it was on our way home (and we didn't want to waste the whole day). But, since everyone apparently was thinking the same thing I was, there was a huge wait there too. So, no Santa for Harmon yet (we might try to go this Friday morning).
We did get some shopping done and, more importantly, got Harmon his first haircut. We went to Carnival Cuts inside Twelve Oaks and, as usual, he was such a good boy. There was this little boy just before him who was wailing and it scared me but Harmon was fine. We put him on the horse and the stylist did the quickest hair cut I've ever seen. When she was done, he looked so cute … and so grown up. She recommended we part his hair the other way (oops) and suggested we get some baby hair gel stuff to handle the flyaway parts. The stuff is made for kids and smelled like blueberries and he didn't seem to mind it so we bought it (it looks like a little glue stick).
He showed off his big boy haircut at Thanksgiving and was the hit of the party. Everyone wanted to hold him and play with him and he handled all the attention really well. He was very well behaved but didn't nap so Kevin and I thought we might have a long night ahead of us. He did have a bit of a meltdown when we got home – overstimulation, I think – but went right to bed. As an aside, my Uncle Max outdid himself with the Thanksgiving feast this year. Everything was SO good, especially the stuffing!
On Friday, we put up some Christmas decorations – especially our outside ones – and ran some errands. On Saturday, I got my hair cut (thank God) and Kevin went to my Uncle Max's to spec out a new computer. He was there for a few hours and it paid off as we finally ordered one. Now, we'll be able to do new, cutting-edge things like … burn DVDs!
Since it's been unseasonably warm around here (50s and even some 60s), we went for a long walk on Sunday. We took Harmon to the park to swing on the swings and he had a great time. It's been a while so he DID NOT want to leave!
This week is a pretty normal week. Kevin is off with me and Harmon on Friday, so that will be fun. Also, on Saturday, Kevin and I will hopefully find some way to celebrate our sixth anniversary. I can't believe we've been married for six freakin' years – wow!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Harmon gets some pub
Here's Harmon doing the no-pants dance in the Detroit Free Press. Thanks, Aunt Stacey!
One-year appointment
Yesterday morning, Harmon had his one-year appointment. We knew it might be a tough day for him when he cried GETTING WEIGHED. Actually, he always cries when he gets weighed, which I don't understand. Maybe he's cold – I don't know. Anyway, he only weighed a little over 28 pounds, which Kevin and I found shocking. He weighed 25 pounds at his nine-month appointment so only a three-pound gain was a surprise to us. I guess he tapered off a bit because of all the crawling and cruising – we’ve noticed his little belly is shrinking. But, he's still in the 97th percentile in weight so we're not worried. He also measured in at about 33 inches long, in the 99th percentile. All in all, still a big boy and getting a little harder to control.
We had all kinds of questions for the doctor, mostly about milk, food and developmental milestones. Our doctor always laughs at us (in a nice way) as we come in with a list of 20 questions! The doctor felt he was doing great and noted how impressed he was with Harmon's verbal skills. Thanks to my Mom, if you say the ABCs to him, he will copy you and, most of the time, will get the sounds right. He decided to play along and show off for the doctor yesterday, which was great. I said it offset him not crawling until he was 10 ½ months old!
After all the easy stuff, it was time for the immunizations. He was slated for four immunizations, ½ flu shot and a blood draw. The doctor cut him some slack and did two immunizations, the ½ flu shot and the blood draw. He'll get the other ½ flu shot and his last immunization next month. As usual, Kevin had to hold him for his shots as I just can't handle it. I feel pretty useless as a Mom when it comes to this kind of stuff. But, as I quickly learned, the immunizations are NOTHING compared to a blood draw. We had this done in the lab and they had me lay him down with his right sleeve rolled up, just like a real, little patient. At that point, I seriously felt light-headed so Kevin had to take over. I left the room thinking for sure I was going to pass out (I have a problem with needles, you see) but was able to keep it together. The blood draw went pretty quick and he forgot it in no time. I, on the other hand, felt terrible – I really need to deal with this fear since it's not going to go away.
The rest of the day, Harmon was really sleepy so I decided to go into work (I had thought about staying home with him as I have after every other appointment). He was with Kevin, though, so all was fine. I think I was just feeling guilty. He slept most of the day and, when I got home from work, we took him to Toys R Us and got him these cool LEGO blocks for being such a good boy.
Kevin and I are taking tomorrow off and we're planning to take Harmon to see Santa at the fancy mall, the Somerset Collection. We're also hoping to keep chipping away at our Christmas shopping. On Thursday, we'll be at my Uncle Max's house for Thanksgiving and, on Friday, we're hoping to put up a lot of our Christmas decorations. On Saturday, thank God, I am finally getting a hair cut. All in all, a nice, long, relaxing holiday weekend that we can’t wait to get started.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We had all kinds of questions for the doctor, mostly about milk, food and developmental milestones. Our doctor always laughs at us (in a nice way) as we come in with a list of 20 questions! The doctor felt he was doing great and noted how impressed he was with Harmon's verbal skills. Thanks to my Mom, if you say the ABCs to him, he will copy you and, most of the time, will get the sounds right. He decided to play along and show off for the doctor yesterday, which was great. I said it offset him not crawling until he was 10 ½ months old!
After all the easy stuff, it was time for the immunizations. He was slated for four immunizations, ½ flu shot and a blood draw. The doctor cut him some slack and did two immunizations, the ½ flu shot and the blood draw. He'll get the other ½ flu shot and his last immunization next month. As usual, Kevin had to hold him for his shots as I just can't handle it. I feel pretty useless as a Mom when it comes to this kind of stuff. But, as I quickly learned, the immunizations are NOTHING compared to a blood draw. We had this done in the lab and they had me lay him down with his right sleeve rolled up, just like a real, little patient. At that point, I seriously felt light-headed so Kevin had to take over. I left the room thinking for sure I was going to pass out (I have a problem with needles, you see) but was able to keep it together. The blood draw went pretty quick and he forgot it in no time. I, on the other hand, felt terrible – I really need to deal with this fear since it's not going to go away.
The rest of the day, Harmon was really sleepy so I decided to go into work (I had thought about staying home with him as I have after every other appointment). He was with Kevin, though, so all was fine. I think I was just feeling guilty. He slept most of the day and, when I got home from work, we took him to Toys R Us and got him these cool LEGO blocks for being such a good boy.Kevin and I are taking tomorrow off and we're planning to take Harmon to see Santa at the fancy mall, the Somerset Collection. We're also hoping to keep chipping away at our Christmas shopping. On Thursday, we'll be at my Uncle Max's house for Thanksgiving and, on Friday, we're hoping to put up a lot of our Christmas decorations. On Saturday, thank God, I am finally getting a hair cut. All in all, a nice, long, relaxing holiday weekend that we can’t wait to get started.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Same Old Song
I’ve read that book, I’ve heard it all before and I’m GD sick of it. Michigan ONCE AGAIN failed to show up for a big game and, once again, pulled a Michigan and failed to finish. I don’t want to hear ANY excuses – nothing about Bo’s death (we sucked when he was alive), nothing about losing Willis Barringer in the first half (our secondary has been suspect all year – Ball State proved that), nothing about the field being crappy (it sure as hell didn’t seem to bother Troy Smith as he picked us apart AGAIN).I am so sick of excuses. I am so sick of the devastating losses (especially to OSU). I am so sick of getting the talent and continuously wasting it every damn year. I am so sick of our conservativeness and our unwillingness to ever change or try something new or different. I am so sick of never having that killer instinct, never kicking a team when its down, never going for the throat, never attacking a team’s weaknesses.
Today’s game was typical Michigan – everything on the line and we choke. I’m not going to sit here like a lot of other people and pretend like I’m so proud of this season and I’m happy with the consolation prize of the Rose Bowl (which we’ll probably lose anyway) because I AM NOT. I want to WIN. I want to be THE BEST – I thought that was what Michigan was all about. When I see what we’ve become, I honestly wonder if we would have won our mythical national championship if the system were the same then as it is now. The more I think about it, Charles Woodson was the ONLY reason we won in ’97 (that, and it was the only season since 1902 that we threw to the tight ends).
As I sit here, through yet another thrashing at the hands of the great (and I’m NOT using that word sarcastically) Ohio State, I can’t say I’m all that surprised. I’ve actually grown all too used to it. I do, however, feel bad for Kevin, though, as he’s going through what I went through a few years ago. He’s pissed, he’s swearing, he can’t believe what’s happening AGAIN. He will learn, though, the hard way, that being a fan of Michigan football will rip your heart out.
As for today’s game, I would have rather lost to them 45-0 than to have it APPEAR to be somewhat close. Hell, Ohio State wanted so badly to JUST GIVE US THE GAME but we couldn’t man up and take it. As an aside, after a big turnover, why can’t we be like most elite programs and go for the throat? Instead, we just piss away all our chances. ANYWAY, a close game might mean there could be a re-match in January and I’m sure I’m not the only Wolverine who would hate to lose to the Buckeyes twice in one season.
Well, I could be wrong but I can’t see us winning the bowl game. God knows we don’t perform well in those things, even when they don’t matter like last year’s useless Alamo Bowl against Nebraska. So, it looks like yet another disappointing season for U-M football and yet another season when we get our asses owned by Tressel and Ohio State!
Bo
On Friday, Bo Schembechler died. It’s a terribly sad time for all those in the Michigan family. It’s also way too ironic that he would die one day before arguably the biggest Michigan-Ohio State game ever. He won’t be here to witness what looks to be another great game in this rivalry, a rivalry that he had a huge part in building. I’m not sure how the team and the coaches will fare on the field tomorrow. I suspect either they will play with great emotion and win one for Bo or they will be totally flat due to the weight of this tremendous loss.When I first started watching Michigan football way back when, it was Bo who defined it. It was his fire and passion that brought Michigan back onto the center state of college football after some rough years in the 60s. When my dream to attend U-M came true in 1991, Gary Moeller was in his second year as head coach but Bo was still around. Shortly after I began working at the athletic department in 1992, I was lucky enough to meet Bo in the mailroom of Schembechler Hall. I was very nervous to speak with him as he always appeared so gruff and so grouchy but, when I introduced myself, told him where I worked and how long I’ve admired him, that rough exterior disappeared. He was sweet and engaging and I went back to work feeling lucky I had the chance to meet him.
All these years later, Bo still was around and you got the feeling he would ALWAYS be around – he seemed indestructible. Even after a brief health scare in October, you still got the feeling that he would beat all the odds and be around forever. But, no one lives forever and he is gone. I joke around a lot with Kevin about how Bo NEVER wanted to throw the ball or about how he fired Ernie Harwell when he was president of the Detroit Tigers but it was always in good fun. I know in my heart that Michigan football, and probably college football, would not be what it is today without Bo.
Rest in peace, Bo! You will be missed! Go Blue!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Birthday Re-Cap
Over the weekend, we had Harmon’s first birthday party. We had our immediate family over and it was a good time. Kevin’s parents, sister and niece made the trip from Peoria and my parents and sisters (along with their boyfriends) drove to Ann Arbor for the big affair. All in all, 13 people in our house. It was a tight fit but I think it all worked out. We had lots of great food and cake (from the same bakery that made our wedding cake) and Harmon, surprise, got way too much stuff. Talk about spoiled. But, I can’t say I was surprised. He’s the first grandchild on my side and he’s the first boy and the first grandchild in 12 years on Kevin’s side. Here is an almost-complete breakdown (in alpha order) of his loot:Argyle sweater vest
Bird's-eye sweater
Button mock neck sweater (in brown)
Doodle Hook and Loop Stage 3 shoes (in dark brown)
Hooded sherpa-lined toggle coat
Lamaze Bongo Beats Pounding Toy
Learning Town Happy Home
Little People Musical Birthday Party
Michigan football jersey
Playskool Wheel Pals Cabby & Roadie vehicles
Robeez Classic shoes (in brown)
Roll-a-Rounds: Drop & Roar Dinosaur
Sherpa-lined zip sweatshirt (in off white)
Side stripe pants (in off white)
Superyard XT
There still were many other things I didn't list above and, believe it or not, there still were things leftover from his wish list that he could get as Christmas gifts. And, in addition to all this, Kevin and I bought him a set of 11 beginner Dr. Seuss books and several other things. He has more than any one-year-old needs!
As for the cake, we tried on Saturday and then again on Sunday (we had a smaller cake made especially for him for his ACTUAL big day) but Harmon had NO INTEREST in it whatsoever. We put it in front of him and even tried to give him bites of it but he wanted nothing to do with it. In the long run, I was glad as I'm not one for letting one-year-olds make a big mess of their birthday cakes. If that makes me a bad Mom, so be it.
In the end, though, it was a great weekend and Harmon seemed to have a great time. He was very tired Sunday and Monday and finally seems to be getting back to normal after all the excitement (and all the people). We'll have his one-year appointment on Monday and will get an update on everything. Until then, he's working on a molar or two and getting used to drinking big-boy milk (we switched him to whole milk on Monday). Thanks so much to everyone who helped make his first birthday so wonderful!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Coming around again
As I said in his birthday post, I can’t believe Harmon is one. I knew the whole “turning one” thing would be tough for me when the following happened:At the beginning of November, I put our camel-colored flannel sheets on the bed (I have an Excel document clearly outlining during which months which sheets are used – ANAL) and began to cry. These were the same sheets that were on the bed LAST November when we brought Harmon home from the hospital. All those cute pictures of him snuggling on our bed were taken with those damn sheets serving as the background!
Also at the beginning of November (and quite ridiculous, if I might say so), WNIC starts playing its all day, every day Christmas music. I remember turning on this Christmas music for Harmon last winter when he would nap. Of course, I’ve cried a few times about this too.
And, today, I had to work an event at the hospital complex and, afterwards, was waiting outside for my ride. Our drop-off/pick-up location was right outside of the U-M Women's Hospital and in clear view of my cool, fourth floor, corner room that was Harmon's first home. I started thinking about it and realized we brought him home one year ago today. My, how time flies.
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